Gas piston operated revolver



July 10,1951 Y R. KAucH 2,550,292

` GAS PIsToN oPERA'rED REVOLVER Filed Aug. 1s, 1948 RoBiERT kAuiH,

Patented July 10, Y1951 @560,292- t. "GASPSTON'DPERTED .REVOLVER Y.

LRober'tKauch, Alexandia;:va. 'Apliesin angustia, 194sgseriarN.44;091'

{Thisl inventionrelatestto improvements-in re'- vol'vers; and more "pa'rtio'iarly"M to a revolver equipped with gaseenergized' 'means-foreiectingf automatic cooking of :thefring hammerjth'ereof, thus` to 'render' the operation ofthe revolver' *ful-1y automatic as respeots""oocking" of thefhannier iand rotation` of` the' cartridge" cy1inder,; so that :'only" the limitejd Dulror. squeeze-"on thetrigger "neoe'ssaryto'feffeot release'of the cooked" hammer isrequired' in'ring. l

isw11knovvn;the ring `hammer of 'aistarfdard "revolve'r ismcoc'kedeither 'manually,' as by ;pulling'backthemhamrer"Withthethumb; or "by pull *on the trigger which Tis *so* interconnected Withtthe hammer thatits rearward'm'ovementief- 1 fects `/cookingof .the'hammer "and: thereby ro- "tati'on of "the 1 cylinder," "andfrially jrel'e'a'se "of the-f: hammer'. f`Genera'11ysneaking,""the hammer is `cooked manuaI1yWhen accraoy'of re .is' de- .oookingprovidesformorerapid firing; the Torce ormsqueeze" required tob'e exerted Yon f`the"t1"ig'ger arid Athe substantial* trigger" movement required to eieot'hammerV cooking seriously 'interfereswith "theabilityto aim"and`re"sanie"with acouracy. Stated Vbroadly, -`the -'present "invention contemplates Aandairnsto provide anovei and'highl'y effective" igasenergized. means" for cooking the ring hanimer of' a "revolve'foliowing `each` .rin'g of atcartridgetherefrom; thus to`re1iderthere# volverj fullyalrtom'atic" inits" operation as' irespeets' 'cooking and 'cylider" rotation. Hence, Pa revolverA equipped *with the*4 automatic "cooking means herein *contemplated may' be'l re'd" vat KV'a 'more rapid v`rate; 'With` less effort, andwith: a `greater Hdegreenf `aocura'cy -than"`hth`e'rto1 possible.'

l It isaffutheraimpf theivention `to`provide arevo'lver equipped with"gasienergizedthammercookingV meansproviding' a' mode `of co'okingthe 'hammer in-" addition '-to theconventionaiuneans A therein fprovided, f* namelyf manualLv cooking and cookingunder-"controleer"the trigger; "Toeffecltate sa'h-fadditionarmeansior*mde'of*cooking the hammer Without interferencet'othetooriventional meansftlfiegas=eneirgized4cookingmeans as -hereirrrprovidedisadapted' ob'eout-intoadiout of operation at will-,tandf-fisliso 'organized and op- Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofarevolveiiedpped (Clf8'9-`192)- A -2 iwith' Lthe" improved i gas-'energized "hammer *oooking' means "of the""present invention, Lthe' firing ,hammer being shown'fin 'its"cookedposition;

Figi 2" is a" brokeneaway part-'sectionalview i1- vv1S lustrating' "in detail the' gas loylinder,V its" gas' "oon- "neotionto' the"v revolverE barrel, and-` the piston 'means' energized bythegasmsupplieidto thelgas 'c'ylinde'rfor"'eie'cting movement Vof I the hammer to itscockedgpostion;

nier in its ring position; and the 'Iaotuatingi pis- -ton aboit to begin its'"h'ammer-`.c`ockii1g stroke; v

Fig." 4'- is an. end v'i'ewdo'oking into :the .right or oontrolendlof thegas cylinder, as se'e'n' in"]5ig- 2;

i .l 4 mounted onal'sh'aft'i 5 veid-,nding transversely bevztvfeenI` andlhavingbearing inlfthe sidel frames, `the hammer! being oookedby--thu'rnb pre-Suretor I fbylpull yonv atrigger `I6eno1osed1iri,altriggeriguard 30 as "sh"own. is jusual, the Fcocked .hammerf-.is released by '.ifliniitd v. squeeze `on .the'` trigger I 6 v`and, w'h'en sb released;Y is drivenV forvvanjlto its 'ringposition by atmain-spring (not shown);` g A rehaniber'ed cylinder l 8 isy .mounted `on .a` swing :45 armfdoosed tothe' otherv sideframe Lfriiloading ,actuating arm'by means of a spring 42.

energized cooking means of the invention includes a gas cylinder 20 illustratively shown to be closed at its ends by end plugs 2|, 22, and to be secured against the outer face of the revolver side frame Il as by an attaching bracket 23 integral with one cylinder end plug 2|, and by a strap 24 encircling the other end, the bracket and strap being secured to the side frame by screws 25. Communication between the right or piston end of the cylinder 20 and the rearward end of the revolver barrel I I is provided by a tube 26 extending substantially parallel with the outer face of the revolver side frame. Fig. l, it will be observed that the cylinder 20 is positioned intermediate the chambered cylinder |8 and the trigger guard I'I and is thus disposed in a relatively out-of-the-way and non-interfering position with respect to said parts. It is also within the purview of the invention to form the cylinder 20 integral with the side frame in which case it would form a built-in or component part of the revolver rather than an attachment element therefor as shown.

Mounted for reciprocation in the cylinder 2B is an elongated actuating piston 28, which is bored for a substantial portion of its length so as to provide a cylindrical recess and seat for one end of a stii coil spring 36. The other end of the spring reacts against the cylinder end-plug 2| and is centered on a pin 3l affixed to said endplug and having length suiiicient to prevent any lateral distortion of the spring under compression. Thus, it will be seen that the coil spring 30 is eifectively interposed between the piston and left end of the cylinder, so that leftwise movement of the piston in response to pressures developed in the barrel effects compression of the spring.

To precludeV rotary movement of the' piston within its cylinder, a key 32 (Fig. 6), which may be the shank of a screw threaded through the cylinder wall, operates in an axially extending keyway 33 machined or otherwise formed in the piston along its top line. The key-way 33 opens into a recess 34 which may be formed in the piston top surface by machining a flat therein, the recess terminating in an abrupt vertical ,shoulder 35 which is spaced an appreciable distance from the left end face of the piston, so as to provide in effect an upstanding ratchet tooth 36 thereon, which, it will be observed, is contained within the periphery of the piston.

To provide the necessary material in the upper half portion of the piston as to'permit of the aforesaid key-way 33 and recess 34 being pro-iV vided therein, the spring-receiving bore of the Ypiston is preferably formed eccentric' to the piston center line, such eccentricity being in downward direction, as seen in Fig. 6.

The prior referred-to hammer shaft I is formed with an extending end |5a which projects beyond the right side frame |I of the revvolver. As best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the extended shaft end |5a carries a short-length Shaft actuating arm 40 which is rigid with the shaft,

and a longer length driving arm or pawl 4| which is normally biased into face engagement with the I-Iowever, mounting of driving arm 4| on shaft end I A5a is such as to permit it to partake of limited Vangular movement in direction away from said actuating arm. Y By further reference to Figs. 2

Y and 3, it will be observ-ed that the length of the actuating arm 40 is such that its free lower end terminates abovevvthe ,cylinder whereals'the' By reference l-to .in Fig.` 4. Vsuch that when the knob 22o is turned. so that length of the longer driving arm 4| is such that its free lower end projects through an opening or window 43 provided in the spring end of the cylinder 20 and into the path of movement of the piston 28 contained therein, and more particular- 1y, into the path of movement of the aforesaid ratchet tooth 36 formed at theY left thereof. The arrangement is such that when engaged by the left end of the piston as the latter moves to the left, the drivingarm 4| is turned onV shaft end |5a to fits dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 3. As the result thereof, the driving arm ratchets over the tooth 36 in the continued movement of piston 28 and thereupon drops into the recess 34. The depth of this recess is such that having cleared the tooth, the driving arm is free to swing against the actuating arm 44|) under the urge of its spring 42. Upon the piston reversing its direction of travel, the Shoulder 35, which in part delines the tooth, may now engage against the end of the driving arm which then Yfunctions asia one-way clutch or vdriving means for translating return piston movement into angular movement of the actuating arm 40 and hence rotary movement of the hammer shaft in direction as to effect cocking of the hammer I4.

`Reverting to the cylinder end'plug 22, such preferably comprises an externally threaded plug body 22a. which is adapted tol be screwed into the internally threaded right end of the cylinder 2D and an inner half-round section 22h disposed in line withthe gas inlet to the cylinder, i. e. the lowerend of the tube 26. The

Youter e'nd of the plug-isv formed asa, knurled knob l22o whose radial face is `marked or otherwise impressedwith apointer 22d. The plug 22 preferably secures a circular dial plate 44 in iixed position against Ythe cylinderl end, the dial plate carrying the Vspaced markings off and on,' and the intermediate numerals' l, 2., 3,l as seen The contemplatedY arrangement is pointer 22d points to the off position the halfround section 22h ofthe plugcovers the gas inlet tothe cylinder"2|l, with the result that the gas-energized cooking means is completely cut out of operation. AWhen the pointer is turned to the on position, ,the plug half-round section is turned sothat it uncovers said inlet and supplies the full pressure of gas obtaining in the barrel to the operating cylinder. And when the pointer is'turned .to the intermediate positions designated l, 2 and 3, which indicate throttling positions of the half-round section of the plug, gas pressure in the barrel is transmitted to cylinder 20 atY gradually increasing rates. Thus, the

plug 22, in addition to functioning as an end plug, also functions as an open-and-shut valve and as a throttling valve, respectively, for cutting inV and out of operation the gas-energized .hammer cocking means of the invention, and for graduating the rate of pressure transmission Vfrom barrel tocylinderY infaccordance with whether fast or slow cooking movement ofthe hammer is desired.

Briefly summarizing the operation of the gasenergized hammer cooking means as described,

it will be assumed that plug knob 22C has been turned to` on position, and that the, hammer I4 has been initially moved to its cocked position yby Vthumb pull thereon, following reloading of the cylinder. The trigger is now in its position corresponding, to the cocked hammer position, so that only slightrearward squeeze .thereon will release the hammer;

Pistonf 2811is zinitsl rightiwise positionY wherein fitfisinormally -maintainedlby spring 30. vUpon the trigger being squeezed, theflhammeridrives forwardlto :its Vifinglposition- (Fig.--3) and-extplodes'theil'lring chargexoi. the.'` cartridge in the chambered.cylinder,i.driving the bullet from the shell, into and thence-'throughthe-barrel I3. As is Well-known," the burnt propelling gas expands and-develops very-high-pressures within the-barrelas the bullet travels from the inner to muz- -zle'end thereof. T-his highpressure gas bleeds through tube26 intol the gas cylinder 20 and drives piston -28`infleftwise direction, thereby to "highly compress the lspring-3l! and-store energy therein.

Consequent tothe hammermoving to firing position, the actuating and-driving-arms 40, 4I

'- arepositioned substantially Yas seenin Fig. 3,

the longer arm beingvdisposed'in the path of movement'of-the'left'end-of the piston. '-However, dueto-saidarm being permittedlimited angular movement `when engaged by the piston moving inV leftwise direction, the drivingl arm rides yover the piston tooth 36 and then drops into the recess 34. Y

As the bullet emerges Vfrom-the muzzle of the barrel, the force'oflthe propellinggas is spent, whereupon spring-30 releases its stored energy in imparting nreturn movement to the piston 28.

During such returnl movementythe shoulder-35 dening one sideofthe piston tooth 36 engages against the` lower vend of the driving arm 4| which now provides an Yoperative driving4 connection betweenpiston and actuating arm 4U Afor translating. returnmovement of Vthe piston Since movement-of the-hammer to cockedposition also effects partial rotation ofthe chambered cylinderl8,ias required to present the next unredecartridge in line with the barrel |3, -as well as'return of the trigger' toits initialposition` corresponding'tococked hammer position,

the cycleis'completed and the revolver is ready for immediate rering, Vas aforesaid. Thus, assuming the cylinder-l yI18to mount six cartridges andwthe rst cooking ofthe hammer to have been` eiiected by the'thumb, the six'jcartridges' may be fired at an extremely rapid rate, with less eieort, and with greater accuracy than hitherto possible with the conventional revolver.

In the event that automatic cocking of the hammer is eifected in the on position 0f the knob 22e at a faster rate than is desired, cocking movement can readily be slowed to the desired rate, for example, by turning the pointer from the on to the 3, 2, l positions, whichever is found in practice to give the desired slower rate, And, when it is desired to operate the revolver in the normal fashion, the knob 22e may be turned to its olf position, such resulting in cutting the gas-energized cocking means out of operation.

While the gas-energized cocking means of the invention has been illustrated as an attachment for existing revolvers, it will be understood that such is only for convenience and clarity in illustration, as the hammer` cocking means herein proposed may also be built into new revolvers without substantial re-design or modication thereof.

AS many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing 'from` the? scope of gtheinventon, it is intended that all matter containedvin the`A above-description or .shown-.fin the accompanying f drawings shall bef interpreted as lillustrative anollmbtn` a limiting'sense.

I claim:

1. In combinatiorra revolverv having La xed "barrel, a chambered cylinder and i'lring mechanism including a ring hammer inounte'dlon a shaft operative when rotated infone direc-tion to eect cocking of the hammer-and rotation of the cylinder, and meansfor rotating said-shaft in said one direction upon firing of a cartridge in the chambered cylinder including a gas cylinder, a piston mounted vfor reciprocation therein,v a'gas connection between -the barrel and one end-'of' the gascvlinder whereby the piston is actuatedVA toward the other end of the cylinder in response -to pressure of 'gas'in the'barrel, acoil spring conjtained inthe gas cylinder and-beinginterposed Vbetweenfthe other `end thereof and the piston so as to `be compressed by the piston 'as the latter ismoved against the spring by the-gas pressure aforesaidk and to actuate the' piston in its'return movement when the pressure'in the barrel is spent,` and one-way clutch means operative between said .hammer kshaft and 'said' piston for translating return movement ofthe-'piston into rotation of the hammer shaft in s'aidonedirection.

2. In combination, a revolverhavinga xed barrel, a chambered cylinder and firingmechanism including a firing .hammermounted on a shaft operative wheiriotatedin one direction to effectcocking of 'the hammer and rotation of the cylinder, andfmeans for rotating saidshaft 'in said one direction' upon ring loi a' cartridge kin the chambered cylindenincluding a gas cylinder, a pistonmountedfor.reciprocation therein, a gas connectionY between the 'barrel and one end of the gas cylinderwhereby the piston is actuated toward the. otherA end of the cylinder in response to pressure c-f gas inthe barrel, a coil spring contained inthepgas cylinderandv being interposed between the other end thereof and the piston so as to be compressed by the piston as the latter. is

moved against the spring-by thegas pressure aforesaid and to actuate thepistonin its return movement when the pressurey inthe bai'rel'is spent, and a drivingconnection operative between piston andshaft for rotating the shaft inthe required direction to actuate the hammer from its firing to its clocked position, said driving connection being effective only during return movement of the piston.

3. In combination, a revolver having a xed barrel, a chambered cylinder and ring mechanisin including a firing hammer, the cocking of which effects rotation of the cylinder, said hammer being mounted on a shaft having bearing in the revolver side frames, one end of said shaft being extended outwardly beyond one side frame, a gas cylinder associated with said one side frame and disposed below the shaft, a piston mounted for reciprocation therein, a connection between the barrel and one end of the actuating cylinder whereby the piston is actuated towards the other end of said cylinder in response to gas pressure developed in the barrel upon ring of a cartridge in the chambered cylinder, a coil spring contained in the gas cylinder and being interposed between the other end thereof and the piston so as to be compressed by the piston as the latter moves against the spring by the gas pressure aforesaid and to actuate the piston in its return Aarfscoaa "movement when ,the pressure in the barrel is spent, and cooperating means on the extended end of the hammer shaft and on the piston for effecting movement of the hammer fromits ring to its cocked position responsively to return movement of the piston.

4. In combination, a revolver having a xed barrel, a chambered cylinder and firing mechanism including a firing hammer, the cooking of which effects rotation of the cylinder, said hammer being mounted on a shaft having bearing in the revolver side frames, one end of said shaft being extended outwardly beyond one side frame, a gas cylinder associated with said one side frame and disposed below the shaft,4 a piston mounted for reciprocation therein, a connection between the barrel and one end of the actuating cylinder whereby the piston is actuated towards the other end of said cylinder in response to gas pressure developed in the barrel upon firing of a cartridge in the chambered cylinder, Va coil spring contained in the gas cylinder and being interposed between the other end thereof and the piston so as to be compressed by the piston as the latter moves against the spring by the gas pressure aforesaid and to actuate the piston in its return movement when the pressure in the barrel is spent, and means on the extended end of the hammer shaft and coacting with the piston during its return movement for effecting movement of the hammer from its firing to its cocked position.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein said cooperating means includes shaft actuating and driving arms carried by the extended end of the hammer shaft, of which the driving arm is spring-biased into engagement with the actuating arm but is mounted for limited angular movement away from same, the spring end of the piston being formed with an upstanding tooth contained within the piston periphery and being defined in part by a shoulder forming the end of an adjacent recess, the length of the driving arm being such that it extends into the path of movement of the tooth but the mounting of the driving arm permitting it to ride over the tooth of the spring-compressing stroke of the piston and thereupon to fall into said recess, said driving arm being engaged by the tooth shoulder on the return stroke of the piston and being operative to trans- `file of this patent:

late return piston movement into angular movement of the actuating arm and hence of the hammer shaft. Y

16. In combination, a revolver having a xed barrel, a chambered cylinder and firing mech- Y Y anism including a firing hammer and a rotary hammer shaft, rotation of which in one direction effects cocking of Vthe hammer and rotation of the cylinder, spring means operative to store energy when compressed and being free to release its energy following its compression,

means responding to gas pressure developed in the barrel upon firing of a cartridge in the cylinder to compress said spring means, and a oneway driving connection operative between said vshaft and saidV last means 'and' being actuable by the energy released by said spring means for imparting rotary movement to the hammer shaft in said one direction.

, piston actuable in one direction by the gas pressure developed in the barrel upon ring of a cartridge in' the cylinder to compress said spring means, and being actuable in return direction by the energy released by said spring means, and

K pawl and rachet means on the shaft and piston,

respectively, for translating return movement of the piston into rotary movement of the hammer shaft in direction as to cock said hammer.

Y ROBERT KAUCH.

y REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,124,427 Hammond Jan. 12, 1915 1,233,096 Martinez-Silva July 10, 1917 1,835,286 Dickinsonv Dec. 8, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Y Date Great Britain 1886 

